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February 2, 2011
Ranked: The Super Bowl Halftime Show from Worst to Best
From Nipplegate to “Halftime on Ice,” a look at football’s weirdest intermission.
By Libby Rumelt
Oh, the halftime show. A chance for the die-hard game watchers to sober up and get something to eat, while the rest of the party enjoys an absurd musical spectacle. This Sunday, America will gather to watch Super Bowl XLV, and as we prepare for the smoke machines, choreographed groups of dancing children, and Black-Eyed Peas, we thought we’d take a look back at the last twenty years of halftime shows. (Because before that, it was more marching bands, and less hydra-like musical superbeast. And what fun is that?)
20. Super Bowl XXVIII (1994)
Rockin' Country Sunday
Featuring: The Judds, Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt
I think there's a reason it's impossible to find a YouTube clip of this performance.
19. Super Bowl XXVI (1992)
Winter Magic
Featuring: Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill
Not even the ironic cheese factor makes ice skating on Teflon in the middle of a football game seem cool.
18. Super Bowl XXXIV (2000)
Tapestry of Nations
Featuring: Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Edward James Olmos.
Olmos' randomly placed heartfelt narration and the schmaltzy theme undermine the legitimate pop talent these four performers have to offer. Someone hand me that tapestry so I can suffocate myself with it.
17. Super Bowl XXV (1991)
A Small World Tribute to Twenty-Five Years of the Super Bowl
Featuring: New Kids On The Block, Disney Characters, small children
Every single child in this performance looks traumatized, but at least you can tell the Kids are singing live.
16. Super Bowl XXIX (1995)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Featuring: Faux Indy and Marion, Teddy Pendergrass, Tony Bennett, Arturo Sandoval, Patti LaBelle
This was essentially just product placement for the new Indiana Jones attraction in Disneyland. Let’s keep our eye on the prize, people.
15. Super Bowl XXXVII (2003)
Featuring: Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
No Doubt and Sting performed some tried and true classics, but Shania Twain and her Hot Topic-looking costume really bring this show's ranking down.
14. Super Bowl XXXIII (1999)
Celebration of Salsa, Soul & Swing
Featuring: Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Chaka Khan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Savion Glover
Not bad, just not very memorable. Like 1999 itself, come to think of it.
13. Super Bowl XXXI (1997)
Blues Brothers Bash
Featuring: Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, James Belushi, ZZ Top, James Brown
James Brown makes this performance what it is. Without him, I couldn't really justify ranking a SNL skit (no matter how iconic) this highly.
12. Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
Rock The Vote
Featuring: P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, and her nipple
Hey, do you guys remember Kid Rock and Diddy's performances? Man, those were great.
11. Super Bowl XLII (2008)
Featuring: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Out of all the classic rock acts we've had in the last seven years of Super Bowl, Tom Petty's performance was the least exciting.
Commentarium (24 Comments)
Fuckin Michael <3
That Nipple Slipped 7 years ago? How time flies
I missed Rocking Country Sunday and frankly didn't even know it had happened. Boy, am I lucky.
Worst halftime show???
1989... Elvis Presto!!! An Elvis impersonator magician... anyone remember this as a kid?
It's no surprise John Belushi stunk in the 1997 Blues Brothers half-time show - he overdosed in 1982 and had been dead for 15 years.
I would flip Michael and Prince, but other than that solid list!
Come on! I do get the impact of Michael's, and how it essentially birthed today's halftime show, but there was ACTUAL PURPLE RAIN DURING PURPLE RAIN!!
I actually did a similar article on my site last year. Check it out here:
http://review2akill.com/2010/02/02/halftime/
Peace out!
I'd put Paul and Diana over the Who and the Stones. All of them performed after they had peaked. But Paul and Diana did it well. The Who and Stones showed their age and just couldn't rock it the way they used to. Those were kind of sad shows to watch for me. Both of those halftimes I felt bad for the bands afterwards because they were just of a shell of what they used to be.
Whenever I watch U2's 9/11 tribute, playing Where the Streets Have No Name, I still get goosebumps -- watch for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0V1UtjPt4
@Nuv, if it were up to me alone, I assure you Prince would be on top of this list and probably every other list we run.
And @Smartypants, the article has been updated to reflect your fascinating theory re: John Belushi's health status circa 1997. :)
I personally found the Who halftime kind of sad, since it was clear Daltry's voice has burned out. Back to my "Live at Leeds" CD for a taste of how it was.
M Jackson clearly set the tone, and in a good way. His sis set the whole thing back with the "accident". Problem is, the NFL needs to decide to whom they are catering at halftime. Older groups for the people in the stadium, who will doubtless be older and more well-heeled or they wouldn't be there, or the younger crowd watching from home on TV. IMHO, leave the older groups in their walkers. It was simply sad to see The Who and the Stones try to perform, and I was part of their public long ago. The show is best served by hot groups that are current or within the past 10-15 years, and beyond that you lose interest in nearly half the viewing audience as well as their ability to keep doing what they did way back when. They also need to ramp up the audio tech so it sounds better on TV, and leave the fireworks for the 4th of July. I'm tired of seeing the teams work in a haze for half of the third quarter.
bruce was the best halftime ever! prince then paul
I don't know who voted but I think the country performers best represent the fans and their families thank you very much
The integrity of the country performers most represent the fans!!!
Prince's halftime was like a movement of nature. The perfect setting and environment for his performance caused one to think the he and nature was one. Unreal! Michael's performance and lip sync is a distance second.
What about Jessica Simpson's littel sister screaming in the microphone (not to be confused with singing) and getting booed!
What about Jessica Simpson's little sister screaming in the microphone (not to be confused with singing) and getting booed by the crowd?
What do you think?
@PeterSmith and @TLUV - It's good to know I'm not the only one out here on the internets with keen observational skills and common sense!
Other highlights of the performance:
- Guitar-peen silhouette
- Unexpected Hendrix/Foo Fighters cover medley
- Expected hot twin dancers
- Epic weird guitar-face
Yeah. In my mind, no question which was #1. (It also doesn't hurt that I'm a Colts fan...)
I really liked the Prince one, the last one I saw as it happened on TV. Kinda bummed but relieved nothing afterwards surpassed it.
@CS in PA Ashlee's performance was at the Rose Bowl.
C'mon...Prince is just plain live-r and not nearly as freeze-dried as any of these others, an the Black-Eyed Peas, too.
Olympic quality. fabulous
Michael Jackson easily #1, and tied for a very distant #2 Bruce Springsteen and Prince
Lame rankings, based mostly on a love of canned faux concert-type shows, instead of more extravagent productions such as Maddonna's. This author must be the kind of bland human being that finds store bought bread to be as good or superior to home-made. THIS IS WHY MEDIOCRE MINDS NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM MAKING LISTS!!!!